


Forest Attack

by hope170



Category: Epic (2013)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-23
Updated: 2014-05-16
Packaged: 2017-12-27 10:56:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/978004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hope170/pseuds/hope170
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Unknown by the Leafmen and Boggan, there is another group of people who lives with them. Now it's time for them to declare the forest their's, and they aren't above slaughter to do it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prolouge

The sunset turned the sky as red as the blood of her fallen comrades. Their body's surrounded her, mutilated by unweilding hands. The scenes of soldier after soldier falling in their vain attempt at protecting their home flashed in her mind as the enemy closed the circle around her.

She lashed out at the dark figures, turning several of them into dust. The gap in the blood thirsty mass was quickly filled in. She lashed out again, only getting a few this time. Her power was fading fast as her blood stained the ground. Her arms started to shake with every strike.

The black figures attacked all at once. She only managed to dodge a few swords before ten times as many sank into her skin. She stumbled with the impact after hours of sure footed battle. She knew she had lost, but couldn't give up yet. She owed it to her fallen people to keep fighting. The circle grew tighter, the horde smelling the defeat.

Flashes of her brother and father filled her mind, both warriors who had fallen in battle. How fitting that she should go in the same way. Her head suddenly grew dizzy and she couldn't stand any longer. She fell off the ledge to the rotten wood below. A darkness started creeping into her mind, tempting her with beautiful releaf from her aching body. She fought against it, trying to get back up, in vain. The last thing she thought about before falling into the greedy darkness was the green of growing things.


	2. Smell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ronin, Nod, and Finn find what should never have had happened.

The leaves were starting to turn orange as the air turned crisp with the promise of the upcoming winter. Three hummingbirds flitted across the trees. If one looked close enough, one could see tiny figures huddled on the birds.

Ronin, Nod, and Finn were on border patrol. They stopped at a tree to give their birds a rest. Nod slipped off his bird ungracefully. Finn soon followed to rest on the branch. Ronin stayed om his bird, alert for any troubles.

"Come on, Ronin." said Nod, a wry smile on his face. "Give it a rest. We've been patrolling this border all day. There are no Boggans anywhere near here."Ronin sighed at Nod,s lieserly tone.

"I can't." Ronin finally admitted. "Something doesn't feel right."

"Of course not." Nod mumbled to himself. "Cause that would mean that everything is fine." Finn flashed him a look that he chose to ignore. Ronin seemed not to notice the two of them. His brow wrinkled as he continued to stare into the forest. He sniffed the air tentively. 

"Nod laughed. "You look like a mouse, sniffing the air like that." Ronin ignored the remark.

"Do you smell that?" He asked them.

"Smell what?" Nod asked back as Finn sniffed. Alarm flashed in his eyes.

"A fire?" he said, perplexed. It was faint, nearly buried beneath the smells of the forest. But it was there. The smell of smoke, and under that the even more gruesome smell of burning flesh. Ronin became a cold soldier, hiding any fears he may have.

"Mount your birds." he said. "We're going to check this out." They were flying again within seconds, heading deep into Boggan territory. It was for too quiet. No Boggan's could be seen anywhere. There was no patrols, no gaurds, not even a random individual. This part of the forest was empty of all life. When they finally reached the hollowed out stump that was Wrathwood, they found out why.

From their hiding spot in the skeleton like branches of a tree, they stared in horror. All around the rotten wood was tons of burning piles that gave off the smell they were following. The piles were made of dead Boggans . Thousands of the piles were scattered around, the flames reaching for the sky as if to bring it down.

A lone figure could be seen, any details obscured by it's dark brown cloak, dragging a body to one of the piles. The body was a large Boggan, it's face forever stuck in a snarl of defiance. Ice filled Nod's stomach at the site. Why, he didn't know. It doesn't matter what happened to the Boggan. They were the enemies, the destroyers of the forest. Why would their destruction disgust him so much?

Only Ronin grasped why it was so chilling. The very thought of the force that was needed to kill so many was bad enough. This was made worse when one saw the tiny bodies mixed in with the larger ones. Children were killed before they had even begun to live. What put the ice in their stomach's wasn't the fall of their enemy, but the slaughter that had happened.

So the three leafmen felt the horror of the slaughter that had taken place. Ronin looked at the edges of the battle field, searching, while Nod and Finn tried to grasp the hideous scene before them. "Well," Nod finally said. "They could have left at least ten for Boggan's alive for me." Nod's attempt at lightheartedness fell flat. Finn sighed.

"There's a camp over there." said Ronin, pointing to the far side. "We can head over there and see if we can learn what happened." They followed him without question. They hid in the tree's, flying from branch to branch, till they were over the leaf tents Ronin had seen.

The camp was huge, stretching far beyond what any of them could see. There was almost as many people here as there was dead Boggan's. The people themselves were strange. They were like the leafmen except for their dark, almost black, skin. The tints of the skin varied from red to blue. They all had wight hair and brown leather armor.

The three leafmen hid there birds and made their way to the camp. They crouched behind a tent at the edge of camp and heard the strange looking soldiers talking inside. Through little bits of information they learned the location of the leader's tent. They snuck through the camp, hiding from the soldiers that passed by, till they were right up to the tent. Nod and Finn kept watch as Ronin peered into a hole in the side of the green tent. That's when he got the first glimpse of the soon-to-be-enemy of the forest.


	3. Interigation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ronin learns of the dark men's plans.

The man in the tent was tall. His wight hair was pulled back into a waist-length ponytail. His skin was a dark red color that reminded Ronin of dried blood. He wore the leather armor with black trimming and a depiction of a black snake on his breast plate. He wore a long sword at his side and a bow and arrows were strung on his back. His eyes were a pale blue of the coldest ice of the coldest winter.

Ronin pulled back from his peephole after only a millisecond as those eyes fell to where he was just seconds ago. Nod and Finn were silent as they listened. A deep voice was asking a question, to whom Ronin could not say as nobody answered. He heard the man snarl in frustration. He looked through the hole again, this time noticing the figure standing in the man's shadow. His heart lept into his throught.

the figure was a small Boggan girl. She had skin the color of milk and hair like a raven's feather. She wore a black dress that poofed out at the waist. She wore black tights and black boots underneath it. Her eyes were the bright green of summer grass. She would have been pretty if it wasn't for the harsh features of her face, which was set in a smirk of amusment at the dark man's frustation. She had cuts all over her face and hands. Her cloths were nearly shredded, showing more cuts across her stomach, back, and legs. Her hair was a tangled mess. She was covered with splotches of blood from her and the ones she had killed.

This was who the evil looking man was talking to. "I'm getting tired of asking you this question." he snarled at her.

"Then stop asking." she snapped back. His face contorted into an expression of pure rage. He took out hi sword, seeming to contemplate wether or not to drive it through her.

"I'll ask you one more time. What do you know about the leafmen?" The girl snorted.

"Let me think." she started, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Who is worse? The ones who never even planned to wipe us out or the kind dark men who slaughtered all of us for no aparent reason." her face turned into a scowl. "I'm afraid the leafmen win this one." 

Before Ronin knew what had happened the girl had fallen to the floor, the dark man's sword dripping with her blood. She stumbled back to her feet, holding her side where blood seeped through her fingers, glaring at him. He stepped up to her, his face mere inches away from hers, and whispered, "You will tell me what I want to know, I'll make sure of that. Maybe one of the children can get you to talk." 

Her eyes went wide before the narrowed as she snarled at him. "You leave them alone. They have nothing to do with this." 

"On the contrary." he said. "They have just as much to do with this as any other Boggan. Once you tell me what I want to know I can get on with the destruction of the leafmen. I'll be happy to let you join them if you are a good little girl." He went to stroke her face, but she snapped at him, catching his finger in her teeth. He yanked his hand away, swearing at her. "Very well then, Have it your way."

Nod was shaking with barely concealed rage at the declaration of another slaughter, this time of people close to him.Finn was stock still and stiff, a range of emotions flashing in his eyes. Ronin was already thinking of defense strategy's to protect Moonhaven. 

As he watched, two more dark men entered the tent, waiting for a command. "Take her back to the pole." the man said, still staring at her and cradling his hand. "Bring her here this time tommorow. Until then, do what you will with her." The two men gave each other wicked grins as their commander turned his back on them.

Ronin turned away, disgust burning in his gut at the thought of what those men would do to the girl. The exprestions on Nod and Finn's faces showed that they felt the same. He motioned to them and headed towards the tree where their birds were hidden. With luck, they could stop this before it got any worse.

And, as much as it bothered him, rescue what Boggan's were left.


	4. Burning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just read it.

She had woken to find herself tied up to a pole in the middle of a green leaf tent. In front of her was two dark figures standing at the entrance. Once they saw that she was awake, they took her to the leader. He questioned her about the leafman, convinced that her and her people had been defeated. What he didn't count on was their stubbornness. He struke her, leaving a bleeding wound in her side. He gave the command to take her back to the pole, letting the two guards do as they wished with her.

And they did. Horrible things that she had nightmares about years later. No matter how much she wanted the embrace of darkness, she remained awake. Hours passed by before they had had their fill with her and turned from violence to taunts ans jibes. As the night wore on she kept herself going with the memory of the strength her father told her she possessed. She kept going for him because that was what he would want. Because that's what he would do.

Finally, she fell to sleep, happy for the blankness of no thoughts. In her sleep, unknown by the guards, she was spending all her energy to heal herself. Her scratches knitted back together with only faint scars to reveal they had ever excisted. The gash in her side took more time, but it was also healed. Now, still sleeping, she started slowly regaining her energy.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She was surrounded by the black trees of her home. Standing on side of her was her brother, on the other her father.They were smiling at her, not talking about war or fighting like they usually did. Her chest filled with happy emotions as tears of joy filled her eyes, 

They walked through the forest together, enjoying the crisp autumn air. When they reached Wrathwood, she smelled fire and burning flesh. Her chest filled with ice as her brother and father melted away, leaving her with the roaring fire that was consuming her home. The sounds of battle came from the fire. There was yells and screams, the clashing of sword on sword. Birds chirped and cawed. There was the dull thuds of fallen soldiers.

She was frozen in place, unable to move away as the fire spread closer to her. Soon, she was sorrounded by flames. They licked at her, wanting to burn her up like her fallen friends. Smoke filled her lungs, choking her when she couldn't cough it out. The flames started climbing up her legs, consuming her. She screamed with the pain of it.

Then she felt herself being pulled out of the fire by invisible strong, steady hands. They were cool against her skin, like her father's had always been. Amongst all the pain she found a happy memory of her father picking her up after she had fallen and skinned her knee. He had smiled at her when she refused to cry, telling her how much he loved her. Finally, the fire left her and she felt cool air easing her pain.


	5. Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In wich the leafmen save the Boggans. And there is a fire. There's always a fire.

Ronin was back at the camp of the strange dark men. Everything was quiet. He saw nobody near by but knew that was surrounded by his troops, all ready to confront the new enemy that had heard about.

Once they had left the camp earlier that day they went straight to Moonhaven. They told Queen Marigold of the slaughter and the strange men, of the cruelty they had seen and the disgust they had felt. She blanched at the very idea of what had happened. When Ronin suggested a rescue mission she didn't hesitate before agreeing.

A rustling brought him out of his thoughts and back to the mission. Finn had moved next to him, waiting for the command to start. Ronin nodded and Finn lead most of the troops around to the other side of the camp. They would attack from that side to draw the enemies away from Ronin, Nod, and two other leafmen who would be sneaking in to lead the Boggan out. Once they are out, Ronin will give the signal to retreat. Hopefully, there will be little to no loss of life on either side of the camp.

Ronin

waited with his small group for the sounds of battle far away. With a nod, he led them down to the camp. Just like he planned, all the soldiers were at the battle. They saw nobody else as they searched for the Boggans.

they finally found them in one of the larger tents in the middle of the camp. Nod went in to find them huddled together. There were three guards who rushed him. The first one to attack him was a young women with dark green skin. His sword clashed with hers. Ronin was soon at his side, fighting off the green woman with him. Nod and Ronin soon dispatched her.

They turned around to help with the other two guards. Nod helped with the dark purple one while Ronin went for the dark blue one. The four leafmen were soon waling into the tent.

The Boggans were hesitant to except their help at first. After all, they had been enemies for who knows how long. But after some persuasion they agreed. Nod found himself counting them as they left the tent. there was only 23. The girl was not with them.

The sounds of battle were getting closer as Nod shoved his way to Ronin. "She's not here." he yelled over the noise. Ronin thought for a moment before motioning the other two leafmen over.

"You three are to get these Boggan as far away from here as possible. I'm going to check to see if there are any left." Nod started to object, but Ronin cut him off. "This isn't up for debate, Nod. I need you with the Boggan." Reluctantly, Nod did what he was told and the group was soon on their way out.

Ronin turned back towards the battle. He couldn't see it but the sound carried far. He could see smoke rising from that part of camp and knew he had to work fast. He dashed from tent to tent, giving each only a glance before moving on to the next. He ran into only one other soldier in his search, this one having a dark orange skin color, who was quickly taken care of.

Then he could see the fire in the distance. He saw it consume tent after tent, quickly spreading towards him. He could only check a few more tents. The fire was five tents away as he checks the tent nearest him. Four away when he moves on to the next. Two tents away as he checked the last one. Amazingly, she was there. 

In the center of the tent was a giant pole. Tied to the pole was the girl, slumped over, unconsious. The two men from before attacked him, driving him away from the girl. The first one slashed at Ronin's side only to cut thin air. Suddenly, Ronin was behind him, sword perched ready to strike. The second one knocked him back from his friend. Ronin swiped at his legs. When the soldier moved to block, Ronin changed targets and stabbed him in the gut.

Before he could pull his sword out, the other soldier struck at his back. He rolled out of the way and brought his sword up to hit the soldier's sholder. The man groaned, quickly backing away. Ronin drove foreward, letting the man block his blows. Finally, he manged to cut through the man's armor to his heart. He fell to the ground, dead.

But Ronin could not stop to breathe because the fire had reached the girls tent. He ran in to find himself in what looked like hell. The fire covered the leaf walls, nawing on them greedily. In the center the girl coughed, still unconsious and unable to get herself out. The fire was inching towards her, craving something more than just leaves and sticks.

he ran towards her, trying to unknot the rope around her wrists. She screamed as the fire reached her legs. He cursed at himself for dropping the sword outside. Finally, he got the rope off of her and managed to drag her out of the tent.

Outside was almost as bad as inside. All the tents around him were being consumed. He coughed as the smoke finally got into his lungs. He picked the girl up, still coughing, and ran through the pillars of fire that were once tents, searching for a way out.

His lungs burned as they strained for oxygen. His arms shook with the weight they were carrying. He thought that he might not be able to make it out, but he wiped it from his mind. He kept going till, finally, he saw no fire ahead. He ran faster, leaving the burning camp behind him for the black trees. When he thought them far enough away, he set the girl down, gasping and coughing.

But he wasn't done yet. He climbed the tree to his bird, grabbing a mirror from the saddle bag. He flashed a to Finn to retreat. Finally able to rest, he just sat on the branch and breathed.


	6. Talking

When she woke up her body was aching everywhere. She groaned as she sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her legs. She looked around and saw that she was in a tent, but not a leaf tent like when she fell asleep. This tent was a dark brown material that was dyed green in variouse places.

Confused, she looked at herself. Her cloths were burned in places and ripped in others. Noticing that her boots were gone, she looked around to find them to her side. Thankfully, whoever decided to take her boots off didn't touch her cloths.

That's when the leafman walked in. She was shocked but didn't show it. She just stared at him, waiting for him to talk. This specific leafman she knew well. His green armor was trimmed in gold. It looks like he decided to not wear his helmet, showing his trimmed grey hair. It was the head leafman, Ronin.

Finally, he said, "How are you feeling?" She laughed in her head. The irony of him asking that to her.

"Fine." She said. "What happened?"

"Well," he started. "We showed up to rescue you Boggan and while I was rescuing you, there was a fire." He watched her as she thought.

"Why?" Ronin paused at that. She saw something flash in his eyes, but before she could grasp at what it was it was gone.

"Because we saw what those people did." he said simply. He didn't need to elaborate. Flashes of battle ran in her head, one dead soldier after another. She shook her head, attempting to shake the images away. She looked up at Ronin and saw the obviouse disgust at what he saw. She sighed.

"Thank you." Ronin nodded at her. She pulled her boots onto her feet and left the tent with Ronin following. In front of her was more tents. Happiness filled her chest when she saw the Boggans talking and laughing. Some children were playing tag while their mothers watched carefully. At least they had survived when all others hadn't. Her heart ached for the soldiers who had fallen. "Thank you" she whispered, trying to put all her feelings into those two words. Ronin smiled.

He left, probably to talk to some other leafmen. One of the Boggan children grabbed her skirt, trying to get her attention. She kneeled down so that she could look into his eyes. He was one of the larger kids, reminding her of her brother at that age. She swallowed down the ice, attempting to stuffle it. "Yes?" she asked politely.

"Where's my mom and dad?" he asked, big eyes staring at her.

"Can you not find them?" she asked. He shook his head. "Do you know when they left?"

"Dad left to fight. I don't know where Mom went. She just said to hide with my friends." She sighed. She knew this little boy was a orphan. Now she had to find the right way to tell him.

"Your parents were trying to protect you." she finally says. "Don't let their sacrifice be in vain." He heart broke when she saw realization hit the boy. He cried into her shoulder and all she could do was hug him. When he finally stopped he rubbed his eyes and looked at her.

"Can you be my mom?" he asked desperation on his face.

"Of course." she replied. He smiled a little and hugged her. "Why don't you go play?" sh asked him. One of the other kids called out to him and they were soon playing a game of hide and seek.

She looked around to see Ronin coming back with a bundle in the crook of is elbow. "These are for you." he said, shoving the bundle into her hands. "Figured you would need these." She found they were cloths. There was a dark green shirt and darker green pants. Nothing big, but deffinitly better than the bright green everyone else wore.

"Thanks." she said. "Now I don't have to wear shredded cloths." She smiled at him but he stayed cold and business like. No fun.

"I'm afraid I don't know your name." he said politely.

"It's Hope." she said. "And stop being so formal. It's boring." She turned back to her tent as someone behind her snickered.


	7. The Guessing Contest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nod and Ronin have guessing contest. The stakes? A month of deserts!!!!!

Nod saw the Boggan girl come back out of her tent, now wearing the green cloths Ronin had given her. She must have found the wash basin because she was now clean of all the blood. Strangly enough, all those scratches he saw earlier were gone. Her hair hung over her shoulders, half way down her back. Wet strands clung to face as she watched the other Boggan's with a protectiveness of a mother looking over her children. A few would stop to say hi to her.

Nod had been talking to Ronin seconds ago, so he knew her name. Hope was such a strange name for a Boggan, but it seemed to fit her. He found himslef walking towards her, curious. 

When he reached her side she looked up at him, waiting for the questions she knew were coming. "So, I was wondering, are you, like, the Boggans new leader, or something?"

She laughed, making him feel self conscious. "That was a long question." He shrugged. "Yes, I'm the new leader."

"Why you?" he asked. "Why are you the leader? Aren't you a bit young for that job?"

"No, I'm not too young. After all, how old is Queen Marigold?" she said, waving her hand in the air.

"Point taken."

"As for the reason they chose me, it was because of my dad."

"Well, that wasn't very descriptive." he said, obviously upset. "Who was your father?"

He could see the twinkle in her eyes as she joked. "Why don't you guess?"

"Guess what?" asked Ronin stepping forward, arms crossed.

"Who her dad is." said Nod, already thinking hard. Ronin also started thinking, making Hope feel uncomfortable with his stare.

"Let's have a bet." suggested Nod. "Whoever guesses who her father is wins. Loser has to give winner his desert rations for a month."

Ronin smiled, having already guessed, certain he was right. "Deal." He and Nod shook on it. "Do you have your guess yet?" Ronin asked him.

Nod smirked. "Definately . You?"

"naturally." Ronin sounded confident with himself. 

"I guess Bandram. You?"  
Ronin shook his head at Nod, beleiving him to be wrong. How could he miss something so obviouse? "What would happen if we were both wrong?" he asked.

"Then we will keep going till one of us is right. Now tell us your guess."

"Mandrake"

Nod was silent for a moment before bursting out in laughter. "Yeah, right, like that's possible." He turned to Hope. "Is one of us right?"

"Yes." Nod waited for more, but Hope gave no sign of elaborating. 

"So, who's right?" he asked impatiently. 

Hope smiled. "Why don't I wait to answer. Keep up the suspense." She laughed at the look of horror on Nod's face. "What, aren't you patient, leafman?" Nod scowled at her, but that only succeeded in making her laugh harder and walk away.


	8. Chapter 8

It wasn't long before Hope came to a startling realization. MEETINGS ARE BORING!!!! AND THEY HAD THEM ALL THE TIME!!!! She did her best not to sigh to loudly as the Leafmen talked strategy. Don't get her wrong, she knew she was suppose to be paying at least a little attention, but she was only 14 and her mind liked to wander. FINALLY, Ronin called the meeting to an end and she was out of there, sprinting through the trees. She stopped when she found a particular branch, one with a giant knot on it covered in a light layer of moss. She plopped down with a huff. 

This whole war thing. She just wasn't up to it. But everyone was counting on her. She had to lead her people out of here alive. But can she really do it? There are so many others better suited for this job. Wait... She mentally facepalmed at herself. There weren't others better suited. They had died. She gave an angst filled groan and fell to her back, looking at the stars. A memory replayed in her head.  
\---------------------------------------

It was a dark night in the forest. And cold. She shivered, looking around hopelessly. She was lost. She looked at the sky, but it was covered with clouds. The stars would not help her this time. She trudged onward, her little 4 year old feet getting snagged by roots constantly. She wanted to go home. She wanted her Dad and brother and not to be all alone. A breeze sent chills down her spine and she shivered again, rubbing her arms for warmth. She made a turn and found a figure blocking her way, a very familiar figure. She rushed to her dad, giving him the biggest hug. He chuckled and hugged back.

"I was lost, Daddy." she told him. "And the stars went away." he chuckled again.

"The stars didn't go away, darling, nor did they hide. They were waiting for you to find your own way." Right as he finished saying this, a light trickled through the clouds as they began to disperse. she looked up in awe as the stars appeared again, brighter than she ever remembered them being. "In the darkest times we need to lead ourselves so we can see the light again."  
\--------------------------------------

Hope was started out of her thoughts when someone sat next to her. She straightened herself back up, giving Ronin a look before returning to her silent contemplation.

"What was your Dad like?" His question caught her by surprise. "My Dad?" He nodded. "Well, he liked to make jokes, mostly corny puns. Sometimes we would do nothing but think up horrible puns. It was lots of fun." She chuckled. "Brother never understood it. I didn't get to see him much during the day. He would always be working. But when he did come back he would let me stay out late and just talk. Sometimes he would teach me useful things about leading others. He always thought I would make a wonderful leader some day." She sighed. "I don't think he meant for me to take his place so soon." "It sounds like he really loved you." She nodded. "He did." A pause. "What happened to him?" She laughed coldly, startling the general with the harshness of her voice. "You tell me. You're the one that killed him." He blinked in realization, staring at the tree branch. "Ah..." It remained silent for quite a long time. Finally, Hope jumped to her feet. "I need to go. Have a good night." Her voice had returned to normal, filled with her usual warmth and friendly ness. She jumped away, leaving Ronin alone with the dark. He sighed. "They really do need you, and I'm the reason you're not here." He sighed again. "What have we gotten into now?"

**Author's Note:**

> I had a dream once where Ronin and Mandrake were both shot by arrow's. I felt that I should write something about it. Eventually I came to the conclusion that this would be a very dark peice. Mandrake doesn't get shot, but only because he died in the movie and doesn't excist in this fandom except for breif mentioning's from several characters.


End file.
